


Take Me to the Top

by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Language of Flowers, M/M, Shunk Week 2017, Ten Years Later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-02 17:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10949589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticReactions/pseuds/BossToaster
Summary: A series of fills for Shunk Week1) Day 2 (Past/Future)2) Day 3 (Flower Meanings)





	1. But Not Too Familiar

Shiro supposed he should have expected this.

It wasn’t like he thought everyone had kept up strict military protocol in the decade he’d been gone.  Hell, he knew for a fact that wasn’t true, from the stories he’d been told.  And it wasn’t like drinking and relaxing wasn’t a big part of military culture, anyway.

It was just that he’d never experienced it with this group, in the not-quite-a-year they’d spent together.  There just hadn’t been time, going from crisis to training to crashing in bed.  They’d all been various kinds of exhausted the whole time that their recreational activities tended to be relaxing.

Which was how Shiro found himself hovering on the edges of a party.

As far as parties went, this was the kind that Shiro prefered.  Just a handful of friends with food and drinks, maybe a movie.  Right now there was just talking, trading stories that Shiro was all too aware he wasn’t part of.  He didn’t resent that, not really, but it made for an awkward experience.  So rather than join in the ribbing on Keith for the time he tried to dive Black into a volcano because he forgot he wasn’t piloting Red, Shiro settled on one of the armchairs and watched from a manufactured distance.

“Are you old enough to be drinking that, young man?” Matt asked, completely ignoring Shiro’s minor attempt at isolation.  He settled against the side of the chair, drinking out of his own cup and smirking at him.  “I’m going to need to see an ID.”

If there was anything Shiro was thankful for, it was that Matt was still so very  _ Matt _ , even with stubble and a much longer haircut.  

Blinking up at him innocently, Shiro smiled.  “Oh, it’s right here, officer.”  He held up his middle finger and took another long sip.  “By which country’s standards, anyway.”

“The only ones that matter,” Matt replied.  “Canadian.”

“You  _ know _ I’m not 18!”

Matt peered down at him.  “I don’t know anything.  Look at that lil baby face.”

“Shiro doesn’t have a baby face,” Lance called, holding up his own cup.  His voice was just a notch over what it would be, and there was a red flush to his cheeks.  “He’s not that jawline.  No one looks like a baby when they could cut glass with their chin.”

Snorting, Matt rolled his eyes.  “Ruin my fun, why don’t you?”

Pidge eyed him right back.  “Have you considered being actually funny?”

“Yes, I’m thinking about how hilarious it’d be to put my foot up your ass.”

“Try it.”

Shiro held up the hand not holding his cup, sighing.  “Guys, c’mon.  Don’t fight.”

“I think you just asked them to stop talking to each other,” Keith replied flatly, but he was smiling.  “What would you two talk about if you weren’t snarking at each other?”

Pidge and Matt both gave Keith a look like he’d lost the plot.  “Not... snarking?”  Pidge repeated dubiously.  “I dunno, never heard of it.”

Snorting, Hunk rolled his eyes and pointedly ignored them.  “You definitely don’t have a baby face,” he told Shiro, practically shining with sincerely.  “You really don’t.”

Shiro smiled back, though it was less from the comment and more from how hard Hunk was working to convince him.  He was probably on his second drink, from the sound of it.  “Thank you, Hunk.”

“I kinda forgot how hot you are,” Hunk continued, eyes still bright and cheerful.  “I thought I was remembering wrong.  But nope.”

Shiro froze, eyes wide.  “I- what?”

“Hot,” Lance repeated, smirking at Shiro’s dumbfounded expression.  “C’mon, someone’s told you that you’re hot before, don’t play at that bullshit.”

“Can confirm,” Matt replied, toasting with his cup.  “I have.”

“You were joking,” Shiro replied.  “That doesn’t count.”

Matt gave him a flat look.  “Yes, it does.  Because I wasn’t joking that you’re objectively attractive.  So is everyone on this castle.  It’s damn ridiculous.”

Keith’s brows rose.  “Way to give yourself a backhand compliment.”

“I know, right?”

“So, see?  You’ve definitely been told before.” Lance gestured to Shiro.  “This is some fake modesty right here.”

Shiro fought the urge to squirm under Lance’s sharp eye.  “Well, I  _ used _ to be told that,” he pointed out, an edge of defensiveness creeping into his voice.  “Not recently.  For obvious reasons.  And it’s strange to hear it from you all.”

“Why?” Pidge asked, brows up.

Looking between them, Shiro opened his mouth, then shut it.  It took a moment to come up with an answer.  “Because I’m- I was your commanding officer.”

“Doesn’t mean we couldn’t find you hot,” Lance replied.  “If anything, that added to it.  Kind of a forbidden spice.”

Shiro went pink.

“He means that he was so busy looking out for us that he didn’t have time to think of us outside of that,” Keith replied, gaze all too sharp.  “Right?”

“That’s not true,” Shiro shot back, heat slipping into his voice.  His grip on the cup tightened, and the plastic crinkled in his hand, threatening to give.  “I always thought of you as people.  You have your interests and personalities and I never forgot that.”

Lance tilted his head.  “No, I see what he’s saying.  You never thought of us outside of that box, right?  Keith isn’t saying you didn’t think we’re people, he’s saying you thought of us in a certain context.  As subordinates.”

It felt arrogant, when they put it that way.  The wording bothered him, though he couldn’t pinpoint where.

Maybe it was the drink.

Besides, they were right anyway.  Shiro hadn’t thought of them as going to parties or in relationships or thinking of him like that.

He hadn’t had time for anything outside of the immediate.

Standing up, Hunk put down his cup and walked over.  He stopped in front of Shiro’s chair.  “I’m going to touch you now, okay?”

“Okay,” Shiro replied, more surprised at the question more than the actions.

Hunk leaned down and cupped either side of Shiro’s jaw, tilting him to look at him.  “You’re still way hot,” he told him, utterly serious.  “Changes and all.  I think that’s important to you.  Maybe not attractiveness, exactly, but how you look in general.  They didn’t take that.”

“Did you just say I’m vain?” Shiro asked, but he couldn’t hide the way his shoulders relaxed just a bit, or the grateful undertones to his voice.  Even if he could have, he wouldn’t.

Grinning, Hunk shrugged and let him go.  “A little.  It’s okay, so is Lance, and he’s still my best friend.”

“Damn straight!” Lance replied, giving his own toast.

Matt snorted, and Shiro didn’t need to look at him to know he was thinking that there wasn’t much ‘straight’ about their little group.  Statistically unlikely, but there they were.

“I’m going to touch you again, okay?” Hunk said.

Shiro offered him a smile.  “It’s okay.  As long as you don’t sneak up on me I’m fine.”  He appreciated the care, but it really was going to get old if Hunk tried to ask or apologize for every brush.

Nodding, Hunk smiled.  “I want to be sure.  It’s been a while.”  With that, he leaned forward and picked Shiro up off the bed.

“Woah!”  He grabbed onto Hunk’s shoulders, practically curling into him.  “Okay.  That’s a little more than a touch.”

Hunk shrugged.  “I am touching you,” he pointed out.  “C’mon, let’s get you back into the group.”

“Hunk,” Shiro protested, but it came out with a hint of a whine to his voice.  Then he hid his face in Hunk’s shoulder in mortification, because he was being carried around like a bride and speaking like that.  His poor, bruised pride.

Chuckling, Hunk shifted him so he settled more comfortably. “I know it’s harder to jump in with us.  But we still want you there.  So I’m making it easier.  Do you really want to stay in your chair over there?”

Shiro took a deep breath. “No.  You’re right.  Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”  With that, Hunk sat down.

But he didn’t let go of Shiro, keeping him settled right in his lap.

Apparently, this wasn’t weird at all because no one else even blinked.

“Aren’t I heavy?” Shiro asked, peering down at Hunk.

That only earned him a snort.  “I can take it,” Hunk replied.  “You’re warm.  Solid.  And I’ve survived Pidge’s bony elbows when she’s in my lap, so I can survive you.”

It was strange and amusing, to hear someone else’s elbows be called more uncomfortable than Shiro’s, given than one of his was metal.  But Hunk really did seem comfortable, so Shiro settled back against him and sipped at his drink.

Now that Shiro was right there, they seemed to make more of an effort to include him in the conversation.  They switched to updating him on fun stories about people he’d know, like Ryder or Kolivan, and that made Shiro relax.  It was nice, somehow, to have those little reminders that not everything had totally changed.  Ryder was close to retiring from her leadership position and was in the process of training a replacement, but Kolivan was just was much himself as ever, it seemed.

Eventually, Shiro was feeling much more relaxed and very comfortable, head tucked against Hunk’s shoulder.  “Thank you,” he murmured to him. 

“For what?” Hunk replied, taking his eyes away from where Lance was in the process of reenacting an entire battle by himself using only enthusiastic arm gestures and blaster sound effects.

Shiro smiled back.  “For including me.  And for trying to soothe my vanity.”

Nodding, Hunk wound his arms around Shiro’s waist, holding him more securely.  It made heat bloom through Shiro and he shivered from the sensation.

Shiro was slowly starting to realize he might still be slightly touch-starved.  Which was strange, given how much time the other paladins spent hanging off of him, but it was rarely so prolonged.

“It’s important to you,” Hunk replied.  “It’s not like it gets in the way or something, but you kept up your haircut the whole time you were in captivity.  And Matt used to tell that story about the time you got him to help you cut your hair on the Daedelus.”

Oh, jeez.  Shiro groaned and closed his eyes, hiding his face into Hunk’s neck.  “Of course he did.”

“You nearly knocked a tooth loose when you headbutted him, you think he’d keep that to himself?”

Of course not.  It certainly hadn’t been one of Shiro’s shining moments.  “No, I don’t.”

Hunk smiled.  “Exactly.  But, see?  You went through all that effort and nearly gave Matt a very different smile because you care how you present to other people.  So I figured you’d like to know that the Galra didn’t take that from you.”

That hit home.

Shiro swallowed hard, heat blooming behind his cheeks and eyes.  “Oh.  Thank you.”

“No problem.”  Hunk continued to hold him, resting his chin on Shiro’s shoulder.  “Okay, shh, this is the best part.”

They both watched as Lance pantomimed laser fire, with Pidge speaking up to try and correct his noises.  It took Shiro a moment to realize it was from their discussion of appropriate sound effects way back when they first started.  “I’m glad to see that joke lived.”

“Of course,” Hunk replied fondly.  “You’ll all learn one of these days that I’m obviously correct.”

“Hunk, yours sounded like fireworks, not laser fire.”

“And yours were bullets, so I don’t want to hear it from you.”

Shiro grinned.  “You know what?  Fair enough.  Since we’re both wrong, I say we team up to take Lance and Pidge down more effectively.”

Laughing, Hunk squeezed him tighter.  “You’re absolutely right.  We definitely should.”  He gave Shiro a warm, fond look.  “Feeling a little better?  I know it’s a hard adjustment.”

Shiro sighed. “The alcohol helps.  And this.” He gestured to where he was still settled in Hunk’s lap.  “This is common, now?”

“Well, not uncommon.  Mostly during moments like this.  Pidge and Lance, usually.  Keith doesn’t like it.”

That figured.  Shiro glanced over at Keith, who was watching Lance and Pidge’s playful argument with a warm, fond look.  “Nah, he wouldn’t, but I’m sure he appreciated the thought.”

“That’s exactly what he said,” Hunk replied.  “See?  You still know us.”

“Yeah, I do.”  Shiro smiled at Hunk and settled against him, letting the warmth of him and of the alcohol make him loose and comfortable.  “Maybe even better, now.”

“You’ll catch up,” Hunk replied easily.  “We’ll help however we can.  We want you here with us and happy, you know.”

Shiro closed his eyes and smiled.  “Yeah.  I do know.”

It wasn’t what he’d left or what Shiro had wanted.

But this was still a room full of people that Shiro loved and who loved him back.

Tonight that was all he needed.


	2. Kiss From A Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Hunk and Shiro bond over a shared interest in an Altean novel series, which escalates into learning Altean flower language. It turns out trading flowers is more fun that passing notes.
> 
> AKA No one ever make me make up fake flowers ever again
> 
> Thank you to @xagrok for beta’ing!

As Shiro opened the door, he nearly walked right into Hunk.  

"Woah, hey there," he called, stepping carefully out of his path.  "Everything okay?"  He glanced back the way he'd come, as though he could see the reason Hunk was rushing, then realized it wasn't because he was in a hurry - it was just that Hunk had his nose in a book.

It took a few moments to respond, and then Hunk blinked and looked up.  "Huh?  Oh, Shiro.  Hello."  Another second passed, and what happened seemed to register.  "Oh!  Did I nearly walk into you?  I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.  I was just distracted."

"I can see that," Shiro replied fondly.  "Good book?"

Hunk perked, seeming assured that Shiro wasn't upset at nearly being run over, and he held up his tablet.  "Yeah.  It's one of the ones Coran put through the translator.  It's some kind of romance novel, I think?  Unless I'm really misunderstanding.  But they're kind of like spies about it.  Did you know Alteans have a flower language too?"

"I didn't," Shiro replied, brows up.  "Makes sense, though."

Hunk nodded agreeably, eyes still locked on his novel.  "Yeah.  Juniberries actually mean renewal and growth, fun fact.  I thought that was nice."

Lips curling up, Shiro nodded.  "It is.  What's the name of the book?"

"Blooming at Sunset," Hunk replied, pulling it back up and showing Shiro the cover.  It was a dramatic shadowy meadow with a starlit night sky and two huge moons, along with some kind of ring that looked metal rather than made of ice and space rocks.  Artificial?  In the lone spot of light there was an Altean, back to the cover, their cloak billowing dramatically as they stared into the darkness.  "I know it looks silly, but..."

Shiro waved him off.  "You don't need to defend yourself.  It sounds like you're enjoying it.  I asked so I could look it up myself and see."

Eyes going wide, Hunk blushed faintly.  "Oh.  Good.  It's a good book.  But it's, uh, not for kids.  For the record."

Brows jumping up, Shiro looked over Hunk considerately.  "Are you reading porn?"

"It's not- no, not like that," Hunk replied, swallowing hard.  "I mean, okay, a little bit.  But not really.  There's a few parts that I just wouldn't want to read out loud to my moms, that's all."

Shiro finally cracked, grinning.  "Noted.  Thanks for the warning."

"No problem," Hunk replied.  "I should go check in with Coran on the Yellow Lion repairs.  I'll talk to you later."

Oh, right, Shiro had been heading to talk to Allura.  Well, he'd left early, so he still wasn't late.  "Yes.  Thank you for the recommendation."

To his delight, Hunk went pink again as he nodded and scurried off.  If he'd had a tail, it would have been firmly between his legs.

It was probably mean of Shiro to tease him.  After all, he was essentially Hunk's superior officer.  But, well, Shiro was enjoying Hunk's blush, and he had to get his kicks somewhere.

That in mind, Shiro made his way through the rec room to the other hallway, and he put aside thoughts of the book.

At least, he did until that night, when nightmares lurked, both from his memories and from his imagination.  But the blank, dark walls of his room did him no better.

Then Shiro remembered Blooming at Sunset and reached for his tablet.  Something silly and romantic was a lot better than anything his mind would cook up right now.  So he settled in for the night and began to read.

***

The novel was a light read, and Shiro was done with it well before the day started.  Likely, the only reason it had taken Hunk more than a couple of hours was due to how busy they were.  But it was amazing how much extra time one had when sleep wasn’t in the picture.

So the next morning, Hunk found a piece of paper with a passable sketch of Glagminium flower left on his plate.  Shiro wouldn’t call himself an artist by a long shot, but he could copy something, and he’d found the image of it in the Altean animal and plant glossary also included in Coran’s translated books.  

That and he’d labeled it.  That helped.

Hunk paused at it, surprised, then smiled at Shiro.  “You read it that fast?”

Shiro shrugged one shoulder.  “It was enjoyable.”

“Read what?” Pidge asked, peering over at the drawing.  She reached out to pick it up, but Hunk snagged it up before she could.  She scowled back, no doubt remembering the many times that Hunk had felt no issue in going through her things.

“A novel,” Shiro replied easily.  “It involved Altean flower language.  The Glagminium means ‘thank you’.”

Allura picked her head up and smiled.  “Oh!  Which book was it?”

“Blooming at Sunset,” Shiro told her.

She beamed, eyes sparkling.  “Oh, good choice!  I loved that series as a teenager.  It’s a bit... uh, dramatic, but it’s very enjoyable.”

Lance eyed them all suspiciously.  “Did you two just read the Atlean version of the  latest teen girl craze book?”

“It was quite popular, yes.”  Allura squinted at him.  “I don’t understand why that’s a problem.”

“Because some books get reputations based on their fan bases on Earth,” Keith replied, shrugging.  He pulled over the platter and started to serve himself.  “It’s not a big deal.”

Allura considered him, still ruffled by Lance’s tone, but she finally seemed to decide it wasn’t worth the argument.  Good.  Shiro didn’t want to have to deal with that first thing in the morning, even if he hadn’t technically just woken up.  Actually, especially in that case.  “Yes, it does mean ‘thank you’.  It can also mean the beginning of affections.”

“Oh.”  Shiro paused, surprised.  The book had only mentioned the one meaning.  Huh.  He supposed it was either supposed to be understood, or it was a hidden joke, since it was passed on early between the romantic leads.  “Well, that’s not the meaning I meant.”  He offered Hunk a smile.  “I’m very fond of you already, no beginnings necessary.”

Hunk beamed back.  “Aww!  Thank you.”  He slid the drawing into one of his pockets and started his own breakfast, practically glowing from the compliment.

Not for the first time, Shiro reminded himself to praise Hunk more.  He did so much for the team and he always got so flustered and pleased when someone mentioned it.  Shiro never wanted to take him for granted.

“I haven’t really looked into the translated novels yet,” Pidge admitted, sipping her water.  “I was trying to get better at Altean and read them in the original format.  Translations usually lose something.”

Considering some of the translations he’d read in the past, Shiro nodded.  “True.  But sometimes you just want something light to do.  Let your brain take a break.”

Snorting, Lance reached over and ruffled Pidge’s hair.  “I don’t think you’ve ever heard of that.”

“I take breaks!  I like puzzles.”  Pidge smacked his hand away, huffing, and she shoved her hair back out of her face.  “And we watch plenty of movies together.”

Shiro snorted.  “Well, today’s training will certainly be a break for your brain. It’s going to be reflexes work.”

That earned him a series of groans from everyone except for Keith, who just nodded his understanding.  Shiro smiled at their whines, utterly unbothered.  It was something nearly all of them needed to work on.

Once breakfast was finished, they all broke off to get changed.  When he got to the training room, he saw a piece of paper taped to it.  On it was a picture of a chain of Traynia blossoms, arranged in a neat row.  They were labeled with an arrow like Shiro’s drawing had been.

Each one meant ‘thank you’.  A chain of them meant ‘many thanks’ or ‘overcoming adversity’.  

Now Shiro understood why Hunk had looked like he have been lit from the inside when he got Shiro’s drawing.  It was nice.  Not quite like getting real flowers - all of these were extinct, which Shiro was trying very hard not to think about - but pretty close.

And it was just nice to know that someone was thinking about him enough to draw flowers based on their meaning.

Sliding the drawing into his bag, Shiro started to set up, a soft smile on his face.

***

The trade continued over the next few weeks, to the point that the rest of the paladins started to pick up on the messages as well.

Shiro drew Hunk a bouquet of mixed Drium Tears and Bruxnets, meaning ‘strength’ and ‘intelligence’ when he came up with a clever solution that saved their lives on a mission.

Hunk drew Shiro Chaxwims for ‘rest’ on dozens of sheets of paper and pushed them all under the bottom of his door when he’d had another bad night and looked like it in the morning.

Allura and Coran were delighted, to Shiro’s relief.  He’d been afraid that it would be hard for them to deal with seeing those reminders.  But in hindsight, they lived in a giant reminder of what they’d lost, so perhaps flower language wasn’t so hard to see.  Especially since Allura seemed excited to talk about the book, if anything.

It was also just nice to have something to bond with Hunk over.  While they were on the same team and they trusted each other with their lives, Hunk and Shiro hadn’t had much social overlap outside of the group.  Shiro had history with both Keith and Pidge, just like Hunk and Lance had, and Shiro and Lance at least had common interests and a shared occupation.  What Hunk was good at, like mechanical tinkering and cooking, were some of Shiro’s weaker areas.

So the shared interested in the flower language (more so than the novel, if Shiro was being honest, but he didn’t want to disappoint Allura) was a good bridge, and it got them talking more often.

And it also ended with Shiro offering to help more in the kitchen.

“That needs to be heated first,” Hunk told Shiro, as he started to pour the sticky brown liquid not unlike maple syrup into the sauce.

Shiro paused and frowned, turning to look at him.  “Why?  It’s about to go into the hot pan anyway.”

Hunk shot him a look that said that Shiro should just take his word for it, but he sighed.  “It changes the chemistry of it.”

“Oh.  The consistency?”  Cooking had always been essentially witchcraft to Shiro, but chemistry he knew.  Intellectually, he was aware they were related, but as far as he was concerned, food came already made, either from cafeterias or the frozen food section, so he’d never had to delve into it.

Brows up, Hunk nodded.  “Right.  And it makes dissolving easier.”

Like tea.  Okay, Shiro could understand that.  He put the syrup into the heating element (not a microwave, apparently.  Hunk and Coran agreed on that, though for different reasons, but Shiro still thought it was basically the same idea) and let it warm before adding it.

“Sorry that you have to babysit me,” Shiro told him as he stirred.  Hunk had given him very specific directions not to stop after the last time he’d burned all the liquid out of what he was cooking.  “It really defeats the purpose of offering you a hand.”

Chuckling, Hunk shrugged.  “It’s not all about that.  Well, yes, it’s nice when the food’s edible and we don’t make more of a mess than we have to.  But it’s also about the company.  Food usually is.  You can make a nice meal just for yourself, but it’s so much work just for that.  Fine as an indulgence, but...”  Hunk smiled at Shiro like the sun breaking through clouds.  “It’s better with friends.”

Shiro felt his cheeks heat and he ducked his head to hide it.

Shit.  Hunk was really cute when he said stuff like that.  

Or when he lifted the training bot bodily.

Actually, that wasn’t cute.  That was a different reaction altogether.

Oh, jeez.  Shiro did not need a crush.  He never needed one, but especially not now, when they were the universe’s last line of defence.  Shiro couldn’t afford to be distracted just because Hunk had a lovely smile and work-rough hands and muscles that could lift Shiro and make it look easy.

Damn it all.

“Shiro!”

Picking his head up, Shiro stared at Hunk, and then down at the sauce, which was really more of a puddle at the bottom of the pan at this point.

Shit.

***

Despite that, Shiro found a drawing of a Glagminium and a Rumin taped to the door of his room that night.   _ Thank you for your help. _

Shiro took them down and stored them carefully in the drawer with the others, carefully preserved.

...Damn, okay, he’d had this crush for a while, hadn’t he?

What a bother.

***

Now that he was thinking about it, Shiro couldn’t stop noticing Hunk.  His smile when he made a pun and the rest of the group groaned in pain made Shiro’s heart pick up.  The way he casually pulled everyone, including Shiro, into big hugs made him feel warm for an hour after.  The way his nose crinkled when he concentrated on putting a machine together made Shiro want to kiss away the wrinkles.

It was all incredibly frustrating.

Shiro really needed to do something about this.  Exorcise his feelings, somehow.  Get it out of his system.  He hadn’t had feelings for anyone in years - since before graduation, before training for Kerberos, before everything that happened after - and he’d forgotten what a constant pain it was.

He’d also forgotten how exhilarating it was, but that didn’t matter.  Hunk saw Shiro as a friend, and that was wonderful.  Shiro wasn’t going to push for more than that.  

So what to do?  How to make it go away?  Shiro wished this was like a cold and he could just take his medication until the feelings died off.

He was still musing on that on their next mission, answering a weak distress signal on an otherwise quiet planet.

It turned out to be a quick stop.  The beacon sending off the signal was a barely-active hunk of rusted metal, and the rest of the settlement was in abandoned ruins.  Either they’d died out years ago, or they’d left completely and abandoned their settlement, and no one had remembered to turn off that particular machine.

“Well, at least it’s a nice planet,” Lance offered, as they trudged back through the forest to their lions.

Pidge shot him a flat look.  “For you, maybe,” she replied, voice thick.  “Whatever’s out here is getting past my allergy meds.”

Glancing around, Shiro nodded to the blooms on the bushes and branches of the trees.  “I think it might be pollen season, here.  That would explain why.”

“Great,” Pidge replied, rubbing her nose.  “Let’s get back quickly, alright?”

Keith eyed her in poorly disguised amusement.  “So much for lessons learned from the Olkari.”

That only earned him a huff.  “I appreciate plants a lot more when they’re not trying to convince my body to kill me.”

“Your body isn’t trying to kill itself,” Lance replied, rolling his eyes.  

“Feels like it.”

They stepped out into a field and trudged through the waist-high grasses and plant stalks.  “Sorry, Pidge, I’m with Lance on this one.  It’s a really nice day.”  He stretched comfortably, arms in the air and back arched, and Shiro had to look away quickly so he wouldn’t get distracted.  

Which was why he noticed a push off to the side with bright yellow petals.  “Oh!”

“What’s wrong?” Keith asked, frowning as Shiro suddenly veered off bath.

Picking a few, Shiro held them up.  “These look like Wiyses.  Don’t they?”

“They do,” Hunk confirmed, eyes wide.  “Well, the Alteans traded a lot, and that probably includes flowers and plants.  I’m not surprised something ended up managing to survive somewhere else.”

Pidge frowned.  “Or it’s just convergent evolution.  It just looks like the same flower.”

“Maybe,” Shiro agreed, shrugging.  “Regardless, it’s nice to see.”

“Bring some back to Allura,” Lance replied easily.  “She and Coran will be able to tell if they’re the real deal or not.  And it’ll probably make them happy.  They like your arts and crafts flowers, they’ll like these.”

Nodding, Shiro took a few more and hoped it was enough for a clipping or testing or whatever the Alteans had to make more flowers.  If it wasn’t, they could come back for more.  “Sorry, Pidge.”

“I’ll live,” Pidge replied, though she sighed.  “What do these mean?”

Shiro paused, trying to remember.  “Beauty,” he replied.  “And romantic affection.”  He paused and looked down at them.  “I should probably explain before I just hand these over.”

Reaching out, Lance plucked another one off.  “I’ll give them to Allura,” he offered, brows waggling, and he huffed when Shiro only gave him a flat look.  “She’s beautiful, so it works.  C’mon, I have like five lines all ready to go.”

“Please don’t let him bring any,” Keith muttered.  

“Seconded,” Pidge added.  “This is supposed to be nice, don’t ruin it with your bad pick-up lines.”

Lance placed a hand on his chest.  “They’re great!  Tell ‘em, Hunk.”

Wincing, Hunk hesitated.  “Um.  Yes?”

“Cold, dude.  As if you could do better.”

Rolling his eyes at them all, Shiro bundled the flowers carefully.  “Enough.  I’ll give them to Allura and Coran and just explain the situation and no one has to say anything else.”

That kept them quiet for about a minute.  Then Hunk spoke.  “I could definitely do better.”

Lance stuck out his tongue at him, already stepping into the Blue Lion.  “Yeah?  Prove it.”

“Sure.”  Hunk stepped over to Shiro and plucked one of the flowers out of his hands.  Then he tucked it behind his ear.  “It suits you.”

With that, he turned and followed Lance into the lion.

Shiro stared after him, eyes wide and sure his face was going pink.

“Shit, that was pretty good,” Lance allowed, glancing back at Shiro.  “I was going to quote some Shakespeare, but I guess that doesn’t make sense with Allura anyway.  Alright, fine.  You win.”

Hunk didn’t reply.  He just glanced over his shoulder back at Shiro and offered him a small, warm smile.

Oh.

“Shiro?” Keith called, waving from where he and Pidge were piling back into the Red Lion.  “C’mon, let’s head back.”

“On my way,” he replied, heading after.

Pidge frowned and looked him over.  “I should have gone back in Blue with all this pollen in here, eugh.”  But she seemed to notice his blush and paused. “What did Hunk say?”

Shiro swallowed.  “It was a pretty good line,” he admitted.

“That and you just have a massive crush on him,” Keith muttered, sitting down in the chair.

It was the fact that Allura and Coran hadn’t seen these flowers in years that kept Shiro from throwing the entire bouquet at him.

***

Later that evening, when Coran and Allura were done exclaiming over the flowers (it was the same plant, though a few thousands years of evolution along, so slightly different), Shiro decided to get even.

The manufacturing on the ship was somewhat limited by the supplies they had, but there was plenty of colored plastic (technically not actual plastic, but close enough).  Which was enough to make fake flowers.

Shiro agonized over the choices, flipping through Blooming at Sunset a few times for inspiration.  Finally he just made a list of Hunk’s qualities and cross-referenced it to the flowers.

Patience, intelligence, wisdom, loving, beautiful, caring.

It was a mish-mash without rhyme or reason, and the result looked like Shiro had jammed together a bunch of random plants without any care.  But hopefully Hunk would read into the meanings, or at least enjoy figuring it out on his own time.

Taking a deep breath, Shiro took the bundle and knocked on Hunk’s door.

Opening it, Hunk paused and smiled.  “Hey, what’s- oh, wow.”

Shiro shoved them forward and took a breath, just barely holding onto his dignity.  “I didn’t want to be outdone,” he admitted, smiling.  “I’m a little competitive.”

“No kidding,” Hunk replied, totally dry.  “The guy who was picked to go to Kerberos when he was still a student is competitive.  Who would have guessed?”  Then he looked down at the lot with a smile.  “All this is for me?”

“Yes,” Shiro replied, hands falling awkwardly to his side.  “This time you don’t get labels.  Have fun.”

Hunk smiled back.  “I will.  I have something for you too.”

Frowning, Shiro blinked at him.  “Oh.  What kind of something?”

“Great minds think alike,” was all Hunk replied.  He ducked back into his room, then came back out with a fake flower of his own.

It was a red rose.

“I wanted to be up front,” Hunk admitted, voice thinning with nerves.  “Because I think you- well, when I said that before, I was kind of hoping you might, you know... also.  So.  Here.”  He held out the rose.

Taking it gently, Shiro stared at him.  “Is this a confession?”

Hunk winced and nodded, eyes slamming shut.  “Yeah.  I promise it won’t be weird if you don’t feel the same.  But I thought from your reaction- I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be!” Shiro replied, shaking his head.  “Mine was too.  I was just making you figure it out.”

Hunk’s mouth fell open.  “Oh.  Oh!  You... Oh.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, neither quite sure what to do now.

“Oh, screw it,” Shiro muttered.  Then he leaned forward and kissed Hunk.

Hunk’s lips curled up under his, and he pulled Shiro in a step closer.  “Let’s go on a date first.”

Groaning, because no matter how lovely Hunk was, his puns still sucked, Shiro pulled away.  “You’re something, alright.”

Chuckling, Hunk pressed their foreheads together.  “A good something?”

“Yes,” Shiro replied.  He reached out and tangled their fingers together.  “Want me to stay while you figure out the flower message?”

Hunk nodded and pulled Shiro into his room.

***

The next day, there was a bouquet of the Wiyses on the table, bright and blooming.

No one commented, even when Pidge eyed it warily through breakfast.  But her anti-histamines held, so she didn’t complain.

Peering at Hunk through the yellow petals, Shiro offered him a small, warm smile, which was returned.

Later, he’d have to make a few more flowers, now that he didn’t have to obscure his feelings.

But first, training.


	3. Bet My LIfe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro goes down, and Hunk gets him through

The last thing Shiro remembered was the jarring feeling of impact.  He’d hit the ground hard after, and there had been a moment of pure daze when his head struck the ground.  The helmet saved him from a far worse injury, but he still laid there and thought  _ huh. _

And then he’d wondered why his hand felt wet.  He’d only had a moment to realize it was because his chest was dripping onto it, and then Shiro had hazed and floated and twisted without ever moving.

Then he was gone.

The next thing Shiro noticed was that he hurt.  He hurt a lot.

Groaning, Shiro shifted, trying to get a sense of why.  But when he did, something in his chest  _ shifted _ and the resulting pain gargled out of him in something that would have been a scream if he could manage.

“Oh, shoot, are you- no, no no no, stay down, okay?  Shiro, don’t move.”

Why not?  Shiro was cold and he hurt, he didn’t want to stay here.  But the voice was so worried that he obeyed reflexively, settling back down.  The resulting sigh of relief sounded like a good thing.

Wait, he knew that sigh.  Shiro knew that voice, too.  Hunk?

Cracking his eyes open, Shiro searched the room until he saw Hunk.  He was a few feet away, angled to face the door instead of Shiro, and with both his hands stuck inside the wall, fiddling frantically.  He didn’t look so good.  There was a cut on one eyebrow, with an impatient red smear below that said blood had dripped into Hunk’s eyes and he’d had to wipe it away.  He had an air of stress, too.  That wasn’t too unusual for Hunk, but here it was more pronounced and real, run ragged.

They weren’t on the Castle, were they?

“Wha-”  The word abused his dry throat and mouth, and Shiro coughed instinctively.  Which turned out to be a bad move, and he groaned in pure pain, trying to curl up defensively.  _ Ow. _

Hunk finally turned to look at him properly, eyes wide.  “Shiro, no, c’mon.  I did everything I could, but you have to stay still.  I don’t want you to...”  He trailed off, voice catching on the words.  “To get hurt worse,” he finally finished, though it didn’t sound like what he’d originally meant.

Oh.  Shiro wasn’t doing well, was he?

Huh.

Rather than try and speak again, Shiro tilted his head in the smallest move he could manage, trying to ask for answers.

“A group of drones snuck up on us,” Hunk told him gently.  “You were shot in the chest.  I managed to take them out, but...”  He trailed off, looking guilty.

But Shiro was already wounded.  Badly, by the feeling of it.

Swallowing, Shiro braced himself, then tried again.  “Good job.”  It came out a croak, barely recognizable as his own words, but it was worth the effort to try and ease Hunk’s anxiety.

Hunk’s eyes went wide, then his expression crumpled.  “Maybe.  If I’d seen them coming, you’d be okay.”

Shaking his head, Shiro winced.  “I coulda too.  S’fine.  Where?”

“We’re in one of the side rooms of the hanger,” Hunk told him.  “I blocked off all the doors in the halls leading to here, so I bought us some time.  They’ll blast through it eventually, but when we don’t check in, someone should come for us, assuming they aren’t on their way.”  He tapped his helmet.  “Signal was jammed when they started to sneak up on us.”

Shit.  Well, expected.  It was worth it if no one in this area could call out, when they were just feeding drones into it until someone came out with bodies.

Okay, no, that wasn’t going to happen.

Shiro grimaced then tried to push himself back up again.  Pain lanced through him like lightning, and immediately his arms started to waver, but Shiro continued to force himself.  They had to get out of here, so Shiro needed to be-

“Stop it!”  Hunk’s shout startled Shiro, and his arms gave suddenly, sending him crashing back down with a cry.  For a moment there was only white-hot pain, blocking out his vision and hearing, but when he came to, Hunk was above him.  

His eyes were red with tears.

Struck by that, regret curled in Shiro’s chest, heavy as the wound.  “Sorry.”

Wiping furiously over his cheeks, Hunk took a deep breath, but couldn’t hide the way his bottom lip shook for just a second.  “You should be,” he told Shiro, near venomous.  “Don’t you dare do that again.  I don’t want to bring back a corpse, okay?  I don’t want to watch you die.  So stay still.”

Okay, Shiro could understand that, but he also couldn’t.  He wasn’t sure if Hunk wasn’t making sense or if Shiro was misunderstanding him. “But we have to go.”

“Someone will come for us,” Hunk shot back.  “That’s the plan when one of us doesn’t check in.  I trust them to get us.” And he did, judging by his voice.  Hunk wasn’t a great liar, but he seemed to have total faith that someone would come tearing in to get them out.

Fair enough.  That was true, they did have plans for this.  “But the drones,” Shiro managed, voice breathy and thin.  “Need t’fight.”

Hunk’s gaze hardened, and he held up his bayard.  “You leave that to me.”

Blinking fast, Shiro stared at Hunk.  Yes, Hunk was tough, and just as much a fighter as anyone else, but that wasn’t a tone or look he was used to seeing from him.  At least, not in this context.  “Um.”

“Shiro,” Hunk continued, voice gentling.  “Your job isn’t to fight right now.  It’s to not die.  I want you to focus on that.  If you don’t die, you’ll win.”

“But-” Shiro winced under Hunk’s determined, serious look, but continued on.  “Can’t- can’t not fight.  I can’t- I won’t go back.  None of you, either.  No one.”

It was more than he would have said if the circumstances hadn’t been what they were, or especially if Shiro had all the blood in his body instead of dripping into the hastily crafted bandages on his chest.  But it was true.

A hand came down into his hair, gentle and warm.  Shiro flinched from it, dragging another choked groan from him.  But then he stilled, staring at Hunk, who looked down at him with pain.

Had he said something wrong?

“I promise,” Hunk murmured quietly.  “You won’t ever go back.  None of us will, but especially not you.  I won’t let them.  I trust you, Shiro, so please trust me too.”

Shiro’s vision swam, and for a moment he thought he was passing out again.  Then he realized it was tears.

He did trust them.  Shiro trusted Hunk with his life.

Apparently he trusted him with this, too.

“Okay,” he replied, voice wet.  “I do.”

Hunk smiled and leaned down, pressing a kiss to Shiro’s forehead.  The warmth of it remained even when he pulled back, smiling softly.  “Thank you.”

There was crashing outside, loud but distant, and then many metal footsteps coming.  Shiro locked back up, tempted to try and push himself up, to fight.  He wasn’t going back, he wasn’t, he’d fight them all, he’d go down in blood and pain before he was taken back, Shiro wasn’t going to, he couldn’t-

But Hunk was there, and Shiro had promised him.

Relaxing back, he closed his eyes.  “Stay alive,” he ordered.

“You too,” Hunk replied.  Shiro heard him shift and stand, his armor clanking, and heard the sound of his bayard charging.

The last thing Shiro remembered was the warmth on his forehead where Hunk and kissed him, and the steady feeling of strength.

Hunk was the Yellow Paladin through and through.  Shiro could trust his support.

Then he was gone.

***

The next thing Shiro remembered was the familiar chill and blue-green haze of the pod.

It opened and he stumbled out, already surrounded by his fellow paladins.  For a moment there was noise and questions and hugs, and Shiro smiled through being overwhelmed.

Then his eyes met Hunk’s.

Shiro’s heart stuttered in his chest, and then he stepped forward and pulled Hunk into a fierce hug.  “Thank you,” he whispered, fingers digging into the fabric of Hunk’s shirt.  “You kept me safe.”

After a moment of still shock, Hunk hugged Shiro back just as strongly.  “You stayed alive.”

When Shiro pulled back, Hunk’s eyes were red again, but this time he was grinning,  He reached up and cupped Shiro’s cheek, his hand warm and steady.  Shiro leaned into it, his own eyes wet and his smile bright.

For a moment they held like that, before the world caught up and there were more questions and well wishes and hugs.

But every time Shiro looked back, Hunk was watching him and smiling.

And Shiro’s chest felt warmer for it.

Something to look into later.  For now, they were both alive and they were both safe.

The rest could come later.


End file.
